Shape-preserving device for hats



. l 1,577,183 M. W. DOWIARZ SHAPE `PPlEslimlvIN G DEVICES FOR lHATS y March 16 1926.

Filed May 2 M1 w @L Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

A omiso or iIeAGo, i-Lmois.

sHAlrnnsEitvI'ne nnvi: Troie Ars. n

T 0 all 'whom it 'may noncrmi U y Be' it known that I', MARTIN W". Doirmn'z,

e citizen of Poland, residing at Chicago,

nienss hats of the fedora' type to maintain them in prop'er'iorrn.` As is wvelllunderstood,\fedore hats 4are usually indented longitudinally at the top to form a groove or channel, and are indented laterally at opposite sides of said groove.' These lteral in- Vdent-ations should be confined to the upper portion of the hatso as( not to extend quite down to the upper ot the ribbon, but` unless the userlis very'careful in han- (lling his'hat they are vveryapt to extend down too far to presenta proper appeari ancei andthis is especially true after a. hat

y `its ege."

has been Worn o'r some `timeand is not as sti-il as it was originally. By holding such lateral indentations in place, however,l the hat will becaused to presenta :tresh and neat appearance so thateventhough it may havebeen Worn av long time it Will not shotv I accomplish inyobject es illustx'nted in the' drawings and lhereinafter described. 'j I regard as new is xset forth in the Qlaiins. i i v In the accompanying drawingd Fig. Al is alperspeetiyelviewvof nry jur proved shepepreserving deyice app-lied V"to a het, which is shown in dotted lines;

Fig; 2 Vis elevation showing; thee-onstruction by Whichthe overlapped ends of the bn'drare held in opulfative-rl'el-atiei to each other 5 prtial-longitiidintl section on line' @Eig-'1; n Y n l Y l .l d Figs. .4r and 5 are elevations-showing lthe two fend vportionsV ofthe band seperately;

; Fig. 7 Ervan-enlarged Vertical section on `line 7;? of Figslg' Fig. S is an enlarged vertical section on 'line 818 st Fisg; 1; A

Fig-V9 is anenla-r'gedvertical section on line `Qlo'it Fig; l; and

bli-g-A 10 'iis al Apartial longitudinal section on line 10441@ of Fig. 9.

Mw vimproved shape preserving device` comprises a 'annular band of siiitable elastic lnterial, 4such as spring nmetal, 'which is 'adapted to bei1iserted in the hatand then expandedzsuiiiciently so thatr it fits closely allaround the innei` `sr'ntace of the hat just below the proper lowv, point 'of the lateral indentations, and is held against dropping from its proper position; Obviously the band should havesuicient elasticity so that it will hold its shape Without causing. the

sides of the hatto protrude beyond'their normal lines; While the band should be capable of being expanded readilyn not only for convenience in inserting` it, but also so that it may be adjusted to halts of different sizes, it should also be incapable of accidentally contracting, orin other words should be .normally locked f against contraction, as

votherwise it might work loose and drop out 0I" place. As will be seen from the follow? ing description, these desirable' qualities ere realized by my improved construction, Reerring noW to the 4drawings-V11 indicates ,the elastic ba-nd which constitutes the main member of my improved forni lpreserving device, said band berng of sheetl steel bent to elliptical shape With its ends 'overlapped vsb that it corresponds inv contour, to the ordinary o i1 proper shape of a hat. The side portions ofthe band, that is to say, the porti'ens that lie oppositethe sideportion's of the: hat, 'aresubstantiallyliat, While the vend .po- .tins of the-band are preferably croirn'ed or rounded slightly toeonforni to the curvature in L-verticel plane ofthe `end pntions tithe-hat; This Groening 'sbestshown in Fig 6 .f e' esapsfeossj .aie tain n iagdicated the *refe-renee numerals 12,- :13, .and are :shewnjseparetely in. Figs. et 'andv 5,

yvhiehftheir inner surfaces are Vrepresentedf,v Atherein shown-fthe end por tion- -1-2 is .prevded .with ellongitudinel slot 11i, and the end portion 13 is provided with a longituthnal slot 15. The side niarg'ins ot the alot 15 are notched or serrated to provide teeth 1G hetween which are recesses 1i", `the teeth 1G being designed aiter the manner ol ratchet teeth, djaeent lo one end ol the end portion 12 it 1e providei'l with a dog 15%, trustro-eonical in contour so that it is adapted to lit in two opposite recesses 1T when the two end portions 1Q, 13 are superposed and are in close contact with eaeh other. as illustrated in Fie". Preferably the dog 1S is lorined h v indentinfg one surtaeo of the end portion 12 by a suitable die so as to torni a projection at the opposite surfaee thereof of proper shape to constitute the dog 1S. When the two end portions` are :wseinhled in operative position the two slots 11, 15 register and the dog l@ lies in opposite .notches 1T so that it ahntel against the teeth 1G at the bases of said notches. The outer surface oi the dog is rounded slightly at its margins so that it presents a rounded surface to the inclined portions ot the notches 17, the purpose ol which is to permit the hand to he expanded easily, as will he hereinafter explaiiied.

The end portion 12 of the band is provided with a button 1S) havingr heads 20, Q1 at the opposite ends of a shank Q2, said shank heine` longl enough so that the heads 20, "31 are separated 'tar enough so that the two end portions ol the band may lie hetween them. rPhe button may he made in an),T suitable way, as by using arivet the shanl: or which passed through a hole 2li in the end portion 12, a washer being seenred upon the opposite end of the shank aitcr the. two end portions 12, 13 have heen overlaliped. the shank, ot course, passing through the slot 15 in the end portion 13. Pre'l'erahly, however, I forni the shank with a portion 21- ot somewhat greater diameter lthan that of the hole 23 so that the button niav he tightl)v riveted to the end portion over the washer 21, and still leave a space wide enough to receive the end portion 13 and permit it to slide longitudinall).T o12 the end portion l2. 1t will be noted that the hole 2? is at one side of the dog 1r), and id doi: lies between said hole and the adiac end et the end portion 12. The purpose of this arrangement is to permit the doa; to he moved out of engagement with the teeth 115 h v lateral separation oil' the overlapping"portione of the hand olleeted liv delleeting the end portion lil inwariilly. The end portions of the hand are overlapped with the portion 1'2 on the inside and the dog; 18 projecting iroin the outer surface thereof into the notches 17 and enl.; ging' the teeth 16, and normally this position wiil he maintained hy the elasticity of the hand, which tends to prevent inward detlection of any part thereof. If, ,lliweven the hand he del'leeted inwardly at or adjacent to the hatten 19, the end thereof whieh earriee the dog 191 will move away lroin the overlapping;I part. ol the end portion 13, therel'iy earrtvingl said dog out of the recesses 1T and ont ol engagement with the teeth 1G. When this occurs, obviously the, end portions may he slid along;` each other in either direction to expand or contract the hand. ever, the elasticit)7 ol the material will return the dog' 18 into looking engagement with the teeth 1G, which will prevent e0ntraction of the hand, without, however, preventing;- its easv expansion, such expansion being` permitted because o1." the fact that the side portions of the dog 18 adjacent to the hutten lil are. hevelled or rounded, and as ,they ene'age the curved portions of the recees-ies 1i it will he ohvious that when the end portions are slid along each other in a direction to expand the hand, the dog` 1S will he automatically inoved in 'ard awa;T troni the end port-ion 1B to permit such sliding movement. In other words, the doe; 1S trips over the teeth 1G when the hand is expanded, and interloelrs with suoli teeth when an etl'ort if; made to contract it.

To hold the end portions 12, 13 so that the slots 14, 15 are always alined, provide a .second hutten 25 similar to the button 19, which however, is secured to the end portion 13 in a hole 2G therein, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. rllhe button is pr vided with a shank 27 which extends through. the slot lei., and said shank carries a washer 28 correspondingl with the washer 21. The two huttons 1f) and 25 are always spaced seine distance apart, even when the hand is expanded to its greatest extent, and consequentl)7 their shanks prevent dis-alinelnent of the slots 11 and 15.

Frein the foregoing` description it will he seen that after the hand has been introduced into the hat it 1nar easily be expanded to the proper size, and after havingbeen so en panded it will not accidentally contract. It, however, it be desired to contract it the end portions of the hand .ni-ay he unlocked il'roni each other bij detieeting the rim in wardlj at or near the button 1t) to move the 18 out of engagement with the teeth 1o. A. .soon as the deileoting pressure is rev nioved, however, the dog` will be returned to locking' position by the elasticity oit the hand.

For various reasons it is not desirable to malte the band 1 1 -vorv wide. and to permit the use oi a comparatively narrow hand without danger ot forming` an externally visible ridge or bulge around the outer sur- .iiaeo o1 the hat 1 introduce a comparatively broad strip 539, lnelierahljf of lihrons inatef rial, which extends a short distance beyond each inargin of the hand 11, as host shown in.

is soon as released, hownia Larmes Fig'. l, `thus furnishing what may be called a comparatively wide tread for the elastic band. The strip 29 also has its ends over lapped so that it may expander ycontredit to conform to the size of the band 1l, but it is not necessary to'fasten its overlapping end portions together, as it is used merely as a pad interposed between the band 1l and the material of which the hat is formed.

To prevent the band ll from vWorking down from its proper position, it is provided at intervals with a number of pins 30 which project through the strip 29 far enough so that they penetrate a short distance into the fabric of the hat, as best shown in Fig. 9. These )ins are areferably formed integral with the and l1Y y making two angular incisions in the margin thereofA to form a V-shaped tooth and Ybending the tooth over at right angles to the body of the band, as best shown in Fig. l0. f 1

It will be understood that the material of which the band 1l is composed is quite thin so that it is not heavy enough to be objectionable, and as it is placed high enough in the hat so that it does notv come in contact with the head of the wearer its use is not objectionable on that account. Vhile a band capable of being freely expandedbut locked against contraction. as described is particularly applicable for use in preserving the form of hats, I wish it to be understood it may be used for any other purpose for which it is adapted.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the character described, comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping .end portions, means holding said end portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and means carried by one of said end portions arranged normally to interlockwith the other overlapping end portion to prevent contraction but permit'expansion of said band, said means being movable out of such locking position by lateral separation of overlapping portions of the band.

2. A device of the character described, comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions, means holding said end 'portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and a dog cai'- ried by one of said endv portions adjacent to said holding means and at one side't-hereof adapted to interlock with the other over-V lapping end portion to prevent contraction but permit expansion of said band, whereby said dog may be moved out of locking position by lateral separation of overlapping portions of the band.

3. 1L device of the character described, comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions, ka dog, carried by one of said end portions, ratchet teeth carried. by the other end portion and vadapted to be engaged by said dog when the end pere tions of the band are in normal position and to be disengaged from said dog by lateral s-e'earatin of overlapping portionsV vof the band, and means atthe side of said dog re mote from the end portion by which it is carried for holding said end portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other.

4f. A device of the character described, comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions provided with longitudinal slots, the slot of one of said portions having margfnal Lratchet teeth, a dog carried by the other end portion of the band and adapted to engage said ratchet teeth when the end portions of the band are in theirvnormal relation to each other,

and to be moved out of engagement with said teeth by inward movement of the dog, and means at one side of said dog for holding said end portions together to slide longitudinally upon eachother.

5. A device of the character described, comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions provided with longitudinal slots, the slot of one ofsaid portions having marginal ratchet teeth, a dog carried by the other end portion of the band and adapted to engage said ratchet teeth when end portions of the band are in their normal relation to Leach other, and to be moved out of engagement with said teeth by inward movement of said dog, means at-one side of said dog for holding said end portions .together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and means for' holding said slots in substantial alinement with each other.

6. A shape preserving device comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions, means holding such end portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and means normally locking the end portions of said band against contraction but iermitting expansion thereof.

7. A shape preserving device comprising an elastic annular band having overlapping end portions, means holding such end portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and ratchet devices carried by the end portions of said band and co-acting normally to prevent contractionof said band l while Vpermitting expansion thereof.

8. A shape preserving device comprising an elasticannular band having! overlapping end portions, means'holding such end portions together to slide longitudinally upon each other, and ratchet devices carried by the of the hund, by lateral movement oit one o3I` the overlapping portions thereof relatively to the other.

9. A shape preserving device comprising :1n elastic annular band of oval shape, the

hand nt tho end portions of the oval being crowned in n vertical plane, seid band having endsl arranged to overlap, means lor holding said ends together to slide longtudnally upon each other', and Ineens normally lockingr the ends of the band against Ctjntraotion but permitting expansion thereo MARTIN NV. DOVIARZ. 

